Government has announced that as part of the Gibraltar Active Travel Strategy, a project to provide pedestrian and cycling infrastructure as part of a wholescale beautification and landscaping project at Europort Avenue, Europort Road and Euro City Passage was given a unanimous green light for outline planning approval at Thursday’s DPC meeting.

The project aims to include access and drop off zones to the new schools in the area via a one-way traffic flow system, social and landscaped green areas and a bi-directional bicycle lane.

This project will take on board the helpful comments of the DPC and will progress to full planning stage in due course.

This project will link up to the larger Active Travel Strategy’s vision providing segregated bicycle infrastructure where possible and linking to quieter streets where space does not permit segregated bicycle infrastructure.

This area will become a street akin to the Living Streets concept in the UK where street space is provided for the wellbeing and health of the community to enjoy, creating an environmentally pleasing landscaped area including trees to provide shade for pedestrians. Such a scheme will encourage people, especially children living in the neighbourhood to walk or cycle to school safely.

The Minister for Transport, Paul Balban, said: “We have worked hard together with the Ministries of Education, Environment, Sport and Leisure and Housing to be able to deliver a vision for a better, healthier, greener, and child-friendly future for Gibraltar. It is hugely gratifying to see this scheme approved unanimously by the DPC as a shared aspiration for future generations.”

The Minister for Education and the Environment, John Cortes, said: “This project will provide the ideal environment for the three new schools in the area, as well as adding to the increasing green spaces in an urban setting. I am certain that it will be well received and will set a standard to be replicated in other parts of Gibraltar."

The Minister for Sports and Housing, Steven Linares, said: “As Minister for Housing I believe this scheme together with others that will be rolled out soon will go a long way to better the estates nearby such as Chilton Court. It will further enhance the standard of living due to the fact that less cars will travel in what is the front of houses at Chilton and will improve immensely access to the school for children who live in the area.”